Child Safety and Wellbeing Panel

The Child Safety and Wellbeing Panel (the Panel) is an independent standing panel that supports review of serious child safeguarding events referred by the Secretary of Health. 

Role of the Panel

The role of the Panel is advisory in nature. The scope of the Panel includes, but is not limited to:

• reviewing and assessing all serious child safeguarding events referred by the Secretary, including completing a root cause analysis of the event;
• conducting defined research, reviews, inspections, or evaluations, and providing independent advice and evidence-based solutions to the Secretary;
• assist the Department in quality and safety decision-making in relation to child safeguarding;
• advise the Secretary on options for quality improvement in structures, systems, processes, and tools in relation to child safety;
• advise the Secretary on options for systematic management of safety and quality learnings from serious child safeguarding events; and
• advise the Secretary in relation to the appropriate escalation of risks relating to trends identified through the review of investigation findings.

Current Panel members

The Panel includes a Chair, two independent members and two consumer representatives with lived experience. 

Chair

Barbara Hingston is an experienced non-executive director and former senior executive with governance experience in national and multi-state not-for-profit businesses and public entities, including tertiary health systems, oral health, youth mental health, disability and other human services. Ms Hingston is a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her services to community, health and people with disability.

Two independent members

Paula Davies is an experienced lawyer who has worked in legal and policy roles with the South Australian Government and as a lawyer in private practice.

Ann Stark has been a psychologist since 1974. She has practised extensively in various organisations in Tasmania and Queensland, with an emphasis on roles in family therapy and child psychology. She has held various regulatory appointments in the psychology field.

Consumer representatives

Erica Edmands has had her own legal practice undertaking workplace investigations and training with clients such as University of Melbourne and Victoria Police. She is also a partner in a national behaviour change consultancy. Ms Edmands has previously been Associate Director with Mental Health at Work and Associate Director of Managing Work Life Balance.

Nix Berry grew up in Tasmania and has experience in child and health services in that context. Their achievements include being a student facilitator with the School Partnerships Program at La Trobe University in Melbourne and working with secondary and middle school students from diverse and low socio‑economic backgrounds.